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Special Collections

The African American Library at the Gregory School

The African American Library at the Gregory School, Houston’s first colored public school located in historic Freedmen’s Town, serves as a resource and repository to preserve, promote, and celebrate the rich history and culture of African Americans in Houston, the surrounding region and the African Diaspora.

The Clayton Library for Genealogical Research

Clayton Library for Genealogical Research is consistently named one of the best family history research libraries in the United States. It houses a national and international collection of family history research materials in print, microprint and online. These resources include historical material such as vital records, state and county histories, information specific to location, indexes to such, and compiled family histories. The library houses materials from all over the United States, as well as foreign countries such as Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany and Eastern Europe. An affiliate of FamilySearch, customers can have microfilm sources sent directly to Clayton Library for a small fee from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, allowing access to the largest genealogical research collection in the world. Additionally, as a digitization partner with FamilySearch, some book sources from the Clayton collection in public domain (copyright pre 1924) are available for viewing for free.

The Greenberg Collection

Greenberg Collection supports the collection of nonfiction books on music, art, antiques, architecture, cooking, and travel including the history of any of these subjects and biographies of persons connected with any of these subjects. In 1977, Jacob Greenberg endowed the Fine Arts Department with a trust fund established in memory of his deceased spouse, Lurine Karon Greenberg.

The Houston Area Digital Archives

Houston Area Digital Archives provides open, online access to the library's rich collections and other community archives. We digitize books, audio and video materials, documents, photographs, manuscripts, maps, memorabilia and more, making them freely available for research.

The Houston Metropolitan Research Center

Houston Metropolitan Research Center (HMRC) includes archival, Texan and local history, and special collections departments with the primary objectives of locating, preserving, and making available to researchers the documentary evidence of Houston's history.

The Houston Oral History Project

Houston Oral History Project is an effort to record and preserve the dynamic history of Houston through the stories and experiences of its residents. It is a collaboration between the Mayor’s Office, the Houston Public Library and the University of Houston.

The Texas and Local History Department

Texas and Local History department offers reference service and research materials in every subject relating to Houston and Texas. It is a closed-stack, non-circulating collection. Users must register, and the staff works with researchers to suggest and locate sources of information.

The World Languages Collection

World Languages Collection serves the City's culturally diverse communities by offering opportunities for learning, fun and access to technology in multiple languages through a central complex and neighborhood branch libraries.